Rocking chair



P. WALENTA ROCKING CHAIR July 7, 1936,

Filed July 15, 1955 4 (WI/W 2. i T l.\. O 6 0 (/z z .5 7 8 32 V p a a a Patented July 7, 1 936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROCKING CHAIR Paul Walenta, Sturtevant, Wis.

Application July 15, 1935, Serial No. 31,357

1 Claim.

This invention appertains to furniture, and more particularly to an improved type of rocking chair.

Rocking chairs,- owing to their comfort, are much preferred by some people over the usual type of leg chair. However, chairs provided with rockers possess certain disadvantages, and hence the use of rocking chairs is rapidly disappearing. The most marked faults of chairs having rockers 1U are that the rockers mar a polished floor, and rapidly wear out a carpeted floor. Also, the chairs tend to creep or walk as the same are being rocked.-

It is therefore one of the primary objects of my 5 invention to provide a novel type of rocking chair possessing a maximum amount of comfort, and which will" eliminate all of. the inherent disadvantages found in common rocking chairs.

Another salient object of my invention is to 20 provide a rocking chair embodying a solid, nonrocking base and a'chair frame, including a bottom, back, and so forth, disposed on said base, with a novel rocking connection therebetween, whereby persons sitting on the chair framecan 25 rock the frame back and forth on the base without danger of the base creeping and marking the floor, or wearing out a carpet or rug.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a transversely extending shaft firmly anchored 30 to the non-rocking base, with depending bearing brackets having anti-friction bearings for receiving the ends of the shaft so that the chair frame carrying thebrackets, can be freely rocked back and forth, means being provided for nor- 35 mally resisting the rocking movement of the,

chair frameand for holding the frame in a vertical position;

A further object of my invention is the provision of depending marginal enclosure members carried by the rocking frame for normally hiding the base from view, so that the chair will possess substantially the appearance of an ordinary easy chair, and so that the rocking connection will be" protected from dust and dirt. 1

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved rocking chair of the above character, which will be durable and efilcient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufac- 50 ture, and one which can be placed upon the market at, a reasonable cost. 1

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be 55 hereinafter more specifically described, claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention, parts of the chair being shown broken away and in section to illustrate structural details, the upholstery of the chair being omitted.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the chair, taken substantially on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of. the arrows.

Figure 3 is a detail, fragmentary vertical section, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, illustrating the novel pivotal connection between the base and the chair frame.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter C" generally indicatesmy improved chair, which comprises a base frame 5, and a rocking chair frame 5. The base 5 can be constructed so from any desired material, such as wood, and includes side rails 6 and I, and the front and rear rails 8 and 9. All of these rails are rigidly connected together and braced in any preferred manner. Rigidly secured to the rails at their meeting ends are depending feet or legs in. The front rail 8 can have rigidly secured thereto the upstandlng'front guard-piece II, and the side rails 6 and I can also have secured thereto the iongitudinally extending upright side guard and stop pieces I2. The stop pieces I! terminate short of. the transverse center of the base, for a purpose which will be later set forth.

The rocking chair frame l5 can also be constructed in any preferred manner, and from any desired materials, such as wood, and includes the side frame pieces and the front and rear frame pieces I'I. These pieces l6 and I1 can be formed in any preferred manner to receive an upholstered chair bottom, and the same can also carry a back 40 i8, and chair arms l9. Obviously, the back 18 and the arms l9 can be upholstered, if so preferred.

In accordance with my invention I rigidly secure to the lower edges of the side rails l6 depending bearing brackets 20. These bearing brackets 20 are disposed substantially at the transverse center of the chair frame l5, and carry anti-friction bearings 2| for the transversely extending shaft 22. The terminals of the shaft 22 are fitted within the bearings 2.l, and the shaft itself is rigidly bolted to the side rails 6 and 'I.

As shown, bolts 23 extend through the rails 6 and spacing blocks 24, and throughthe shaft 22. This firmly anchors the shaft in place, and allows the chair frame ll to freely'rock thereon. The front piece ll of the base 5 acts as a stop for the front of the racking chair frame l5, and this front piece can carry rubber stops it to eliminate shock. The rear ends of the side pieces 6 and I can likewise carry soft rubber stops H for limiting the rearward swinging movement of the chair frame.

Relatively heavy springs and 28 are provided for normally holding the chair frame against swinging movement, and for normally holding the front of the chair frame in engagement with the front stops I3. These springs 25 and 26 have their intermediate portions coiled about the shaft 22, and terminals of the springs bear respectively against the side rails 6 and 1, and the side pieces [8 of the frame i5. Sheet metal enclosure plates 21, 28,-and 29 are carried respectively by the front and sides of the rocking chair frame l5. and these pieces are securely bolted or otherwise rigidly afllxed to the lower faces of the front and side pieces I! and i6. As shown, the upper edges of the enclosure plates 21, 28, and 29 are provided with rightangular flanges, which abut against the lower edges of the side pieces I! and IS.

The flanges of the side closure plates 28 and 29 can be cut away. as at 30. so as to receive the hearing brackets 20.

In use of my improved chair, the user sits on the chair bottom in the ordinary manner, and by throwing his or her weight backwardly, the chair frame ll will rock on the shaft 22 against the tension of the springs 25 and 2t. and by moving the weight forwardly the chair frame will return to its normal position. This motion can be continued as long as desired. a

From the foregoing it can be seen that I have provided a novel rocking chair, in which the base remains stationary at all times, and in which the frame rocks thereon.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. but what I claim as new is: v

A living room chair comprising a stationary base including side rails, front and rear rails and supporting feet, a transversely extending shaft rigidly bolted to the side rails intermediate the ends thereof, a chair frame including side pieces and front and rear connecting pieces, depending bearing brackets rigidly secured to the side pieces intermediate their ends, anti-friction bearings carried by the bearing brackets receiving the terminals of the shaft, springs interposed between the base and chair frame, depending enclosure plates carried by the front and side pieces of the chair frame and normally housing a portion of the base. and cushion stops disposed between the base and the chair frame at the front and rear portions thereof.

PAUL WAIENTA. 

